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In a rare conservation effort in Mumbai, 22 Indian Rock Python eggs were incubated and successfully hatched in a controlled environment through the joint efforts of the Maharashtra Forest Department and RAWW (Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare), with a team of wildlife rescue and rehabilitation experts from the nonprofit leading the initiative.

Last month, wildlife rescue experts recovered the 22 eggs along with a nine-foot female python from a drain along the Eastern Express Highway during pre-monsoon maintenence work. 

Ritik Jaiswal and Bhushan Salve from RAWW  undertook the rescue operation in coordination with the Forest Department as the python and the eggs could not be left at the drain owing to the nature of the pre-monsoon work as well as to avoid a potential human-wildlife conflict. 

RAWW President and Honorary Wildlife Warden of Thane, Pawan Sharma, said, “The female python was examined by Dr Priti Sathe following the rescue and was declared fit to be released back to the wild, under the Forest Department`s supervision. The eggs were handed over to us for artificial incubtion as they could not be left in the wild. Their responsibility was taken over by Zoologist Chinmay Joshi from RAWW. “

The eggs were placed in an artificial set up under favourable conditions and were constantly monitored at RAWW`s wildlife rehabilitation facility. In the early hours of Monday, the young ones began emerging from their shells. 

“The young ones appear to be normal and active. They will undergo a medical examination and then be released back to their natural habitat,” said Sharma 

The Indian Rock Pythons are among the top-protected species in India. They are listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act,1972, and are classified as `Near Threatened` according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), making them endangered globally owing to habitat loss, hunting and poaching.